


Scars

by DragonGirl420



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Daryl Dixon x Reader, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-20 18:11:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13723227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonGirl420/pseuds/DragonGirl420
Summary: From the request: "Daryl get help from a quiet (but badass) girl during a run, she don’t want to go with him, telling she prefer be alone, but convince her after seeing her two time around, after a while they get close and he notice she’s always wearing long sleeve clothes and start to guess what she hide, so after she get hurt on a run, he took off her large pull and realise all her scars (same as him) all over her back, arms, shoulders, and he broke down… "





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Word Count: 2760  
> Warnings: Violence, Language, Implication of physical abuse

She’d lived with them for a while now, but he noticed her the first day. The first week she lived at the prison, he didn’t think she said a word to anyone. By the third week, Carol had managed to get a few tidbits of information about her, but nothing that told their little close-knit group much about their new ally.

Y/N was always quiet at meals, and any other time the whole group was sat together. She never offered an opinion or asked a question. Rarely did she ever leave her cell, unless it was to hunt. Daryl had tried to follow her out several times, but she always seemed to know when he did and managed to lose him.

He tried one last time to track her when she went on a hunt alone. Daryl caught up with her as she was zeroing in on a wild boar. He stayed as far back as possible but was still able to see her work. Never had he seen a woman so focused on the task at hand and he found himself desperately wanting to go on a hunt with her.

Daryl attempted asking her to go on a run or hunt with him, but she turned him down each time. He didn’t know how to explain to her that it was okay to not be ok if that was her problem. The truth was, he could never really get close enough to figure out what her deal was. Though, it was something he was determined to do. Something about the distance in her gaze and the way she never really met his eyes made him feel like there was something familiar about her.

* * *

_Sitting on the concrete steps, you tried to find a place with a slight bit of shade. The outdoor courtyard of the prison didn’t offer many places to get respite from the sun and heat. Rolling your neck to work out the kinks, you tugged at the sleeves of your shirt, pulling them up slightly and wiping them across your brow._

_You saw Daryl approaching and immediately wanted to run away. You knew what he wanted but didn’t know another way to turn him down without seeming like it was personal._

_“Y/N, you busy?” the archer asked as he approached, crossbow slung over one shoulder._

_“Why?” you answered, not looking up at him._

_“Could use ya if you ain’t,” Daryl shielded his face against the sun and shifted his weight from one boot to the other._

_“Why me? Can’t someone else go? I’d really rather not…”_

_“Said the same damn thing every run we had over the last couple weeks. Gotta go sometime girl,” Daryl shrugged, “besides, you really don’t look all that busy.”_

_Sighing deep, you slowly stood up from the steps and pulled the sleeves of your shirt down as far as they could go._

_“Look, Daryl… you need me to help out more, fine. But I really would rather do a job where I can just be alone. It’s really nothing personal.”_

_Daryl studied your face and shrugged again. “Well, I certainly can’t make ya go. It’d be nice to have someone to back me up though.”_

_He turned to leave and you were struck with a twinge of guilt. You really had no reason to say no, it was more because you couldn’t deal with being that close to any other person for that long. Everyone at the prison had been accommodating since you arrived there, and you knew that eventually, you would have to start giving back._

_“Daryl… wait.” You slowly took a few steps in his direction. He stopped walking but hesitated before turning around. You noticed that he squared up his shoulders, slightly puffing out his chest as he faced you, his face set and ready to engage._

_“What?”_

_“I’ll go. You shouldn’t be out there by yourself… so,” you shrugged, “what should I bring?”_

_“Grab an empty pack and meet me by the gate,” he gave you a quick once over, and motioned to your clothes. “It’s hot, you might wanna change if ya can.”_

_“I’m good. I’ll just grab a bag.” Daryl gave you a thoughtful look, then gave you a nod and left to grab his bike._

_“_ You can do this… you can do this… _” you told yourself over and over from the walk from the cell to the front gate._

_Daryl was already mounted on his bike, engine purring and ready to go. You slowly put the pack on your shoulders and walked up to the side of the archer._

_“Climb on,” he hollered over the motor. Your nerves were causing your legs to have a tough time moving. “C’mon, we gotta go!”_

_You climbed on and gently held onto Daryl’s waist. But when the bike roared forward, you gripped the leather of his vest tighter and immediately relished the rush of adrenaline that surged through you._

_As you soared down the road, you had a moment where you were able to forget all the things that sat on your shoulders and just enjoy the wind through your hair._

* * *

[Originally posted by birdmacklin](https://tmblr.co/ZLOBnt1oHWG0E)

Daryl maneuvered the Triumph through the wreckage on the highway and killed the engine when he found an open spot.

“Came through here last week but a herd was movin’ through,” Daryl mused as he hopped off the bike. “Thought it might be worth comin’ back for a look,” he was watching her as she effortlessly swung her leg over and off the bike.

She surveyed the sight of the crash and shrugged. “Yeah, I guess it could… I’ll start over there,” she pointed down to the furthest part of the highway.

“We should stay close, don’t know what’s left movin’,” Daryl suggested, hoping she wouldn’t fight him too much.

“I got it Dixon. You do you, I’ll do me, ok?” she walked off towards the first car of the crash, not giving him a second glance.

“Fine,” he growled more to himself than to her. She was becoming frustrating, but he couldn’t help but feel resolute about getting her relax and find her place among the others.

Daryl slowly walked through the pileup, crossbow raised and ready to act. He kept her in his peripheral vision, always sure to know right where she was. He stopped to look through the opened trunk of an old compact that was overflowing with suitcases and bags.

Finding nothing of value, he continued down the line of vehicles, only to come away with a handful of toiletries, aspirin and a small switchblade. Y/N disappeared around the corner of a box truck. Daryl watched the shadows of her feet on the pavement until all signs of her disappeared completely.

Waiting until a count of twenty, Daryl quickly and quietly made his way to where she disappeared. When he looked around the side of the truck Y/N was nowhere to be found. Furrowing his brow, Daryl lowered his crossbow and looked around. When he finally turned completely, she was standing behind him, her weapon drawn and a small smile on her face.

“Stop. Following. Me.” She said through gritted teeth, as she cocked her head and raised her eyes in a silent gesture that asked for his compliance.

“I ain’t,” Daryl grumbled.

“Bullshit. This isn’t the first time either. I know you follow me out into the woods sometimes. Not a big fan of that either, by the way.” Her glare was firmly set upon his face, and Daryl knew that he needed to back off.

Y/N’s body language and disdain for interference from others mirrored Daryl’s in a way that he hadn’t seen in anyone before. She was more than capable, yet still seemed so damaged. She still hadn’t lowered her weapon and he could feel his anger rising.

“The hell’s your problem anyway? God forbid ya do somethin’ with the group… always gotta be off by yourself!” He couldn’t help but snap at her. Daryl felt guilt immediately, but she had a way of reverting him to that angry guy he was when Merle had been around.

“My problem?! Just because I share space with y’all doesn’t mean I need to be your friend Daryl. If that ain’t enough for you and the Sheriff, I’ll be glad to pack my shit ‘n go,” her (y/e/c) eyes burned holes into Daryl, “not like it would be the first time…”

Her voice trailed off, and she finally lowered her weapon.

“No one said you gotta be,” Daryl replied calmly. “But, you also don’t gotta do it all alone, that’s all.”

Y/N looked down at the asphalt. She was about to speak when a few walkers made their presence known round the other side of the pileup. Daryl drew his knife, as did Y/N and both silently approached where the dead were walking.

Sneaking up behind them, Y/N drove her blade through the base of the thing’s skull. Daryl took down the two behind it, but as she turned to pierce the long blade through the last one’s brain, a piece of metal from the crash caught on her jeans, and when she pulled it free, it sent her back into the guardrail, falling back down the embankment.

“Y/N!” Daryl yelled and lunged at the final walker still standing just before it toppled down the hill after her.

Once the walker was down, Daryl leaped over the guardrail and surfed down the ridge doing his best not to end up ass-over-head. She was at the bottom of the hill, flat on her back and clearly in pain.

Daryl knelt next to her and tried to see if she’d been bitten or had any broken bones. He reached for her arms to help her up and she pulled away violently.

“I got it!” she barked, but he could see she regretted it instantly. Wincing from the pain, she didn’t reject his second attempt to help her up.

“Lemme just look atcha,” he said, making sure she was firm on her feet before turning her around.

Across her back, the gray sweatshirt she wore was soaked with a softball size area of blood. Daryl went to lift it to take a closer look, and even with the pain she was in, yanked way from him. Her eyes were full of shame and Daryl suddenly understood.

“It’s ‘lright Y/N,” he didn’t move away as he tried once again to lift her shirt. Daryl could feel her body start to tremble as the material lifted over her skin. “I’m sorry, I gotta look.”

She nodded slightly, and Daryl saw the tears starting to well in her eyes. He was certain that the swell of emotion had nothing to do with the pain she felt from the fall.

Daryl shifted her sweatshirt up only enough to see the cause of the blood. Luckily it was nothing that Hershel couldn’t stitch up when they returned home. Not wanting her to feel more self-conscious, he spared only a quick glance at the edges of the scarring residing on the small of her back.

Letting the fabric fall back down, he heard her audibly sigh in relief. “C’mon, let’s get back. That’s gonna need a few stitches.”

She swallowed hard, and quickly swiped at her face before heading back up the embankment. Daryl watched her make her way up and stayed back for a minute. He didn’t want her to see how her scars affected him. Taking a deep breath, Daryl pushed the memories of his own scars out of his head and stowed himself against the surge of feelings that began settling in.

* * *

_Entering the gates of the prison, Daryl brought the bike to a stop and killed the engine. You climbed off just as he was putting down the kickstand and was more than several steps gone by the time Daryl had climbed off._

_Once you were inside the walls of the prison, you found a private place to break down. Knowing your cell would be the first place he looked, you when down into the cafeteria and found a corner to curl up in._

_Ten minutes passed, and the sobs that had been wracking your body finally started to subside. Exhausted and in pain, you tried several times to pick yourself up and to go get the stitches, but your feet wouldn’t cooperate._

_Closing your eyes, you rested your head against the wall and felt your body starting to tremble. Your shirt was still soaked in blood and sweat, and a chill was setting in. A slight bump against the cafeteria door made you sit up and be on alert._

_As the door pushed open you saw Daryl’s head poke in. After what had happened on the run, he was the last person you wanted to see. You knew he had seen your marks, he had to have… the wound was right near one of the deeper scars that ran from your mid-back down to where the top of your jeans rested._

_“Go away Daryl,” you moaned and turned your head the other way._

_“No,” he replied simply as he entered the space and spread out a clean blanket across the floor. He arranged a handful of medical supplies on the edge and motioned for you to sit down._

_When you hesitated, he moved as though he was ready to pick you up and do it himself. Reluctantly giving in, you moved onto the blanket and felt him sit down behind you._

_“I gotta take this up, ok?” he lightly laid his fingers on your sweatshirt and tugged it up._

_Nodding your head enough for him to see, he gingerly brought the shirt up and over your head. You squeezed your eyes shut at the image of his face as he was sat behind you, taking in the mess of old wounds that marked you from top to bottom._

_Daryl silently started to go about stitching you up. Once he was done, he placed the gauze patch over it and taped it down. You could feel his fingertips linger on the top of one of the longer scars, causing your stomach to twist in an odd sensation you’d never felt before._

_“Here,” he grunted and handed you a clean shirt. “It’s one’a mine, you can keep it though.”_

_You unraveled the flannel and noticed he brought one with long sleeves, despite the heat. Your stomach repeated the same rollercoaster type drop at his thoughtfulness. Slipping it over your head, he helped guide the fabric so it didn’t catch on the bandage._

_Once it was on, you turned and drew your knees into your chest. Meeting Daryl’s gaze, you smiled at him, “Thank you.”_

_“Mmhmm,” he responded, his eyes firmly fixed on your face._

_His gaze was making you feel less uncomfortable and more intrigued by him._

_“I got ‘em too you know,” he admitted, casting his eyes to the floor. “My old man…” he paused, bringing his blue eyes to meet yours again, shrugging slightly._

_You nodded, understanding now why he didn’t ask about them when he first saw them. “My old man left a few… dad too,” you added nonchalantly._

_“It ain’t right,” Daryl mused. He stood up and reached a hand down to help you up. You took it happily and stood, now face to face with him._

_“No, it wasn’t,” you answered and were shocked by what you saw on his face._

_Daryl tried to hide the tear that fell down his cheek, but you saw it despite his best efforts before he wiped the evidence away. You were starting to warm to him now that you knew the terrible thing you both had in common._

_“Hey, you wanna go find something to eat?” you asked, wanting to return the favor of his earlier discretion by changing the subject._

_“You mean sit at the same table and share a meal together?” a sarcastic smile grew across his face._

_“Yeah, something like that,” you smacked his shoulder playfully, “least I can do for you patchin’ my dumb ass up. Next time I’ll be more careful out there.”_

_“Next time?” he asked curiously as he held open the cafeteria door._

_“Yeah, you think that’s the last impression I’m gonna leave you with of me out there? Please… we’ll go out again soon and I’ll run circles around you.”_

_“Pfft,” Daryl scoffed, “Yeah, okay. We’ll see Y/N, we’ll see.”_

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Several people requested a Part 2 of “Scars”, and one anon asked to include the prompts: 17. “Hold me. Just for a bit, okay? I just… I need someone to hold me.” 20. “I will never give up on you.”

Several weeks had passed since Daryl helped stitch her up after the run. At first, he tried to approach her more often, sit near her at meals and ask her to head out on runs. She was more responsive to his inclusion, but as the weeks progressed, he noticed how she began slipping back into her previous patterns.

Watching her from the courtyard, Daryl stood against the fence trying to stay discreet in his surveillance. He’d come to learn she was as good a tracker as he was, and in some ways even better at knowing when there was someone watching that shouldn’t be.

On the fourth week, Daryl and Rick discussed the next run and were putting all the pieces in place. Maggie and Glenn had volunteered to go, but Daryl insisted on trying to get Y/N to agree to take the trip.

“If you think you could convince her to go, then have at it. But Daryl,” Rick paused, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder, “she’s not exactly proven herself trustworthy yet. You sure you want her out there with you for two or three days? It’s a long trip…”

“I’m sure, man. She’s good out there. Besides, Maggie and Glenn are better here to help you keep watch on this place. Especially with all these new people comin’ in. Carol and Michonne can handle watch tower points, but the other two should keep perimeter watch.”

Rick nodded, “Alright, it’s your call.”

Daryl grunted in acknowledgment and set off to find Y/N.

 

* * *

_Your hands hadn’t stopped shaking in nearly two weeks. The previous run with Daryl had a stronger effect on you than you had realized. As time marched on, a lot of the stress of surviving had piled on top of whatever you had been carrying since before the outbreak._

_Anytime you tried to get down to the heart of what caused your consistent anxiety attacks, you felt yourself shut down and revert to the quiet, closed off person you’d been since the last scar appeared across your skin._

_Sitting in the cafeteria, you were fidgeting with the old Walkman you carried around since you were a kid. Flipping the tape over, you readjusted the headphones and pressed play on the tape inside. The music of Frank Sinatra played through the speakers and you could feel the shaking start to slow down._

_The song slowed to a finish and the trembling of your hands had quelled completely. Slipping the headphones off, the sound of the door turned your attention in its direction. Daryl walked through and immediately looked at the corner which had become your go-to place ever since that first run with him._

_“Hey,” you greeted him quietly, “looking for me?”_

_“Mmhmm,” he strolled over, his hands shoved far down into his pockets, “wanted to see if maybe you wanted to go on a run with me. But, um, it’s a long one.”_

_“How long?”_

_Daryl slipped his crossbow off his shoulder and gently laid it on the ground before sitting in front of you. “Two days, three tops.”_

_“I don’t know Daryl, that’s kinda long… where the hell do you have to go to be gone that long?”_

_“Rick found this place in the phone book, some sporting goods store. He wants to be prepared,” he looked up at you to gauge your reaction._

_“Prepared,” you snorted as a laugh, “prepared for what?”_

_“Dunno, another attack, or a herd comin’ too close. Can’t blame him really. So, you wanna go?” Daryl sounded hopeful and you know you’d feel like a shit if you turned him down for no good reason._

_“Sure, let me just grab some stuff,” you said as you wrapped the headphone wire around the Walkman._

_Daryl stood and reached a hand down to you off the floor. Reaching up to take it, the sleeves of your shirt pulled up and revealed a few of the smaller marks that were left from the last incident with him. The archer caught sight of them, quickly casting his eyes to the floor._

_“Daryl, you don’t have to pretend they aren’t there. I know you’ve seen them a few times.”_

_“How’d those come ‘bout?” he motioned to the small repetitive slices on the flesh of your arm._

_“These here,” you touched the scars that ran along your arm lightly and flashed back to the memory as you pulled the sleeves back over your skin, “My ex-boyfriend pushed me into the kitchen cabinets really hard, one had a glass door. Brought my arm up to shield my face,” you shrugged and turned to the cafeteria doors._

_Daryl quietly followed you, staying a step or two behind as you walked down the dark corridors._

_“He do shit like that a lot?” Daryl asked after a few minutes of silence._

_“Josh had his moments of being kind… but yeah, it was often enough.”_

_Daryl didn’t ask you any more questions. You were grateful for that because Josh was the last thing you wanted to talk about._

_“Just give me ten minutes, ok?” you asked, as you and Daryl approached C Block._

_“See ya in ten,” Daryl nodded and kept walking towards the courtyard doors._

* * *

 

Daryl’s pace quickened as he got closer to the freedom of the fresh air. Going down into the Tombs and cafeteria was his least favorite part of the prison, usually avoiding it at all costs. This time he had to find her down there, but it was more what he learned from her than the trip itself that made him desperate to be outside.

Knowing that any guy had put his hands on her in that manner caused him to flash with an anger he hadn’t felt in a long time. Y/N wasn’t anything more than a passing acquaintance, but the idea of someone being that rough with her made him feel unsettled.

Daryl grabbed his gear from the hood of the car and tossed it in the back seat. True to her word, ten minutes later Y/N was adding hers to the mix and climbing into the passenger seat.

“Let’s get this done,” she said settling into the seat.

Her demeanor had been consistently fluctuating over the last few weeks and Daryl couldn’t get a read on her state of mind. Finally, she flashed him a mocking smile and hit him in the arm.

“C’mon, Dixon, whatcha waitin’ for? Let’s go on an adventure.”

“This is gonna be a long trip, ain’t it?” he scoffed at her exuberance and turned the engine over.

 

 

The store was further than Daryl thought, and when the sun started its descent, he realized it was time to find a place to hold up for the night. He pulled the car into a small strip mall parking lot off the highway and circled through the parking lot to look for any signs of trouble.

When he was sure it was clear, he positioned the car behind a dumpster and broke into the back entrance to a furniture store. After a sweep of the place, Daryl watched Y/N go through the desks and come out with a few random supplies.

“Here,” she said and tossed two packs of saltine crackers. “Dinner.”

“Pfft, please. This ain’t dinner.” Daryl reached into his pack and pulled out a bag of deer jerky and two cans of vegetable soup.

“Where’d ya find that?” Y/N asked, her eyes excited at the sight of the cans.

“Carol. She found ‘em in one of the vacant cells. Here,” he said and held out the cans to her. “Why don’t you get a fire goin’, I’ll set up the perimeter, so we can eat and get some sleep.”

Daryl watched Y/N exit the car and go about effortlessly gathering the supplies needed to start a fire. In no time the two of them were sitting by the low flickering flames and waiting for the soup heat while munching on jerky.

“You’re quiet,” she said finally, but never took her eyes off her can. “What’s up?”

He sat silently, drawing his knees up to his chest. Daryl stared off into the fire and shook his head. “Nothin’.”

“Yeah, ok,” she said and stood from the fire. “I’m going to sleep. You alright for the first watch?”

Daryl grunted an answer causing her to shrug and shuffle off to the car. Once she was in, Daryl finally turned his head, looking back at the vehicle. Sighing, he released his knees and poked at the fire. He didn’t want his thoughts to keep traveling back there, but every time he saw one of her scars, he couldn’t help but think of his own.

Whether they had come from his old man, bullies in the schoolyard, or his own brother, Daryl hadn’t let himself think back to those days in many years. Seeing Y/N and her battle wounds aroused something in him he never thought he’d have to deal with again.

He’d been fighting a mental war for years now over the lines crisscrossed on his back; the ones that screamed to the world what kind of life he had. On one hand, they were reminders of the childhood he deserved but never had and on the other, it had been what formed him into who he was in that moment. With the current state of the world, he was the stronger species. Unfortunately, it was because he’d been forced to survive since the day he was born.

As the night went on, Daryl stayed by the fire and never bothered to wake her. His senses remained on alert, but his thoughts lingered on the girl with the same history written on her skin. It wouldn’t be until later that afternoon that Daryl would realize how affected she still was from her past.

* * *

_Your eyes fluttered open and you sat up with a start, nearly smashing your forehead into the visor hanging down across the windshield. The sun was up already, and you realized that Daryl had never woken you to take watch._

_Quickly getting out of the car, you noticed the fire was stamped out, but there was no sign of the archer. Grabbing your weapons and backpack, you affixed them to your belt and began looking around for some sign of a trail._

_Picking up his footprints, you drew your gun from the holster and clicked off the safety. Following the prints, you ventured out beyond the perimeter he’d set up the night before and walked it into the thicket of trees beyond the shopping center parking lot._

_Several minutes into the woods, a snapping branch behind you made you freeze but only for a moment. You could sense Daryl behind you and relaxed your shoulders. Turning to face him, his crossbow was drawn but lowered, a slight smile on his face._

_“Got ya,” he said, snorting a laugh._

_“Good for you Dixon, you finally got me. Now, if you’re done playing hide and seek, can we please get on with our trip? Daylight’s wasting.”_

_“You’re just sore ‘cause I got the jump on ya first,” Daryl snarked as you pushed past him and back towards the car._

 

 

_An hour later Daryl was maneuvering the car through a small pile up on the highway. When he cleared it, your eyes caught the name of the exit sign that Daryl was heading for and you felt your body tense._

_“This is where we’re going?” you asked hoping that the panic in your voice wouldn’t be apparent._

_“Yeah, why?”_

_Swallowing hard, you closed your eyes and felt your stomach bottom out. When Daryl mentioned a sporting goods store, you never imagined he’d mean the one in your old town. The familiar scenery flashed by and the closer you were to the store, the more nervous you got._

_“Now you’re the one who’s quiet,” Daryl said without taking his eyes off the road. “You ain’t said a word since we got off the highway.”_

_You shrugged, afraid saying anything aloud would just elicit more questions from him. Daryl pulled the car to an idling stop in the middle of an intersection and pulled out the map. As you watched him trying to get his bearings, you sighed and realized you were going to have to say something._

_“Make a right, go three miles and then make a left. The store will be there on the right.”_

_“How—”_

_“I used to live here Daryl,” you said quietly._

_Turning to meet his gaze, he nodded in understanding and threw the map in the back seat._

_“In and out, ok? Won’t be long,” he promised and steered the car in to follow your directions._

_You nodded and felt the slightest bit of relief settle the worry in your gut. If anyone could understand the affect of traveling back to the place where trauma happened, it was Daryl. Having him at your side made it feel like something you could face, even though it was the last thing in the world you wanted to do._

 

 

_Standing outside of the store, Daryl tapped on the glass of the picture window. The two of you waited patiently for any walkers inside to follow the noise. Several minutes went by and when nothing came you made the decision to go inside and start scavenging._

_“Stay together to sweep the place. After that, we can split up and find what Rick wants,” Daryl said softly and motioned for you to break off to the left._

_After checking the store and finding it empty, you each grabbed a shopping cart and went about collecting the items on your list. In no time both you and Daryl had fulfilled Rick’s request and met up by the abandoned cash registers._

_“Get it all?” he asked looking between both carts._

_“Mmhm, can we go now? I’d like to get the hell out of here.”_

_“Yeah, c’mon. Let’s load this up and go home,” Daryl said, flashing you a small, but satisfied grin._

_Exiting the store, you were both stopped in your tracks by a group of men, all with some sort of handmade weapon in their hands. They were surrounding your only transport out of town and didn’t look happy to see you._

_“Was wondering how long you were going to be in there robbing us,” the man in front spoke up. He was tall with long black hair and carrying a lead pipe with a knife soldered to the tip. Quickly scanning the number of heads, you counted eight total, each with a blunt object weapon and some type of sharp object fixed to their belts._

_Not seeing any guns among them, you slowly raised your weapon and pointed it at the tall man’s head._

_“Fuck off, asshole. We’re just trying to get some supplies. No need to be a selfish prick about it.”_

_The man chuckled and looked at his friends. “You hear this dumb bitch? She thinks she’s tough. Isn’t that cute.”_

_“Fuck—”_

_“Y/N! Stop,” Daryl hissed and briefly caught your attention before you fixed your eyes on the supposed ringleader._

_“Yeah, Y/N. Stop. Please. Don’t shoot,” he taunted and took a few steps closer. “Now, there are way more of us than there are you, so, why not just cooperate and hand over your—”_

_You didn’t hesitate, you quickly drew your gun up and fired a warning shot at the man’s head. Missing by only an inch, an anger flared in his eyes as he lunged at you._

_A voice called out from behind the group of men, causing the tall man to stop coming at you._

_“Mike! Stop!” the deep voice commanded. The second you heard it, a chill ran down your spine and all the courage that allowed you to raise your weapon and fire, slipped away, leaving your knees weak and unsteady._

_Daryl noticed the change in you but didn’t want to take the aim of his bow off the guy they called Mike._

_“Y/N… you alright?” he asked huskily._

_Too shocked at the events unfolding before you, you couldn’t respond to his question. From the group of men, Josh stepped forward. You never thought you would see him again after running away from him right before the outbreak. The sight of him was all it took for you to revert to who you were when you’d been with him. Your arm slowly fell to your side, the gun dangling from your fingers._

_“Holy shit… Y/N? Well, I wouldn’t believe in a million fucking years I’d see you again. Where the hell have you been?” Josh stepped forward, making you take a step back._

_“Who the fuck are you?” Daryl barked, now aiming his bow at Josh’s head as he casually strolled closer to you._

_Josh turned and flashed Daryl a mocking smile. With a scary speedy you’d never seen from him before, Josh grabbed the gun from the rear waistband of his jeans and pointed it at your head while still looking at the archer._

_“Now, lower it asshole or she dies. Trust me, I don’t need much of a reason to kill this bitch,” Josh said._

_Daryl reluctantly lowered his weapon and glanced at you. Your eyes were transfixed on the pavement, unable to look at Josh or meet Daryl’s gaze._

_“So, where the hell have you been? You know how long I looked for you? Hmmm? How many people died looking for YOU?!” Josh raised a hand and brought the back of his palm down hard across your face._

_Pain radiated from your cheek, and you stumbled back from the impact. Daryl lunged forward at Josh, only stopping himself when Josh aimed the gun at his head._

_“Stay put, I’ll deal with you in a minute. Besides, what do you care what happens to her? She’s my old lady. I deal with her how I see fit,” Josh’s voice was getting louder the more his anger grew._

_The familiar feeling of fear and disgust was branching out from your gut. In the year you’d been away from Josh, you thought that you had reached a place where he could no longer have this reaction. But a mere minute in his presence and you quickly reverted to the scared, beaten down woman you were around him._

_“So, you’re the one who put your hands on her?” Daryl growled, ignoring the gun pointed in his face._

_“Daryl, don’t,” you managed to squeak out. “It’s not worth it.”_

_You turned back to Josh and hesitantly took a step forward. “I’m sorry Josh. Just, just let him go, and I’ll go with you. Whatever you want.”_

_Josh snorted and shook his head. Lowering his gun from Daryl, he turned his full attention to you. “And what makes you think I want your skanky ass around anymore? I wouldn’t want to fuck you with Mike’s lead pipe there, now that I see what you’ve been whorin’ around with,” he spat and flicked the gun in Daryl’s direction, “God only knows what kind of diseases you picked up from this wild animal.”_

_Josh’s cackling laugh at his own disparaging remark caused something to break inside you. The dam that bottled up your fear of this man and all he’d put you through started to crack. The growing rage was enough to force a different reaction and end this once and for all._

_In a flash, Josh’s hand lunged forward gripping a handful of your hair. His fingers wrapped around the tendrils and pulled sharply at the roots, making you wince in pain._

_“No, see, you’re gonna come back with us,” his voice guttural and his breath hot on your face. “The boys here are gonna use you as a plaything. Something to pass around to kill time. I mean, that’s all you were ever good for. A pathetic piece of ass that—”_

_You brought your knee up and connected with Josh’s groin, hard. He fell to his knees and you kicked at him with all you hand, this time knocking the gun from his hand and sending it flying towards Mike. Before the tall man could grab it, Daryl’s crossbow was up and aimed at his head._

_“Don’t,” he growled, freezing Mike in place. “I’ll drop you faster than you can pick up that gun. I promise ya that.”_

_The rest of the men around the car began to look uncertain about whatever plan they’d had and passed glances between them._

_“Look, we don’t want any more trouble…” one of them chimed in._

_“Too late,” Daryl said and sent a bolt through Mike’s head. The group of guys quickly stumbled back and started running away in fear for their own lives. “You alright?” he asked once they were gone._

_Standing over Josh, who was curled into the fetal position on the asphalt, you raised your weapon again._

_“Don’t you ever touch me again. I will NEVER let you touch me again,” you said, your voice was cold, your demeanor numb and callous as you pulled the trigger and ended Josh’s life._

* * *

 

Daryl could feel himself preparing to lunge at the man; his nerves twitching at the prospect of his fists meeting Josh’s face. When Josh had grabbed her hair, Daryl never wanted to kill someone as much as he did in that moment.

But then, Y/N brought Josh to the ground. Seeing a chance, Daryl took advantage and neutralized the other threats standing around their car. He hadn’t planned on killing Mike, but he knew that Mike was one of the worst kinds of people left in the world. Daryl didn’t feel right about letting the man live just to go on to harm someone else.

Watching Y/N standing over Josh, Daryl didn’t know if she would have the nerve to go through with it until he actually saw the bullet fire and land in the prick’s head.

“Y/N…” he started, but stopped when he realized he didn’t know what he could say to make any of it better.

Still staring at Josh’s body, Y/N spit on him before wiping her mouth across her sleeve.

“Good fucking riddance,” she hissed and drew in a deep breath. “He nearly killed me in this parking lot once. It was one of the last times we were together. He grabbed my hair like that and smashed my face into the dashboard of his car because I bought the wrong brand of vodka.”

She was distant and even though she was talking, Daryl could tell it was more to herself than to him.

“I left after that. Ran away and hid in the woods for weeks thinking he would find me…”

“Y/N, you don’t have too—”

She turned to face him, large tears spilling over the edge of her (y/c/e) eyes and down her cheeks.

“Yes, Daryl. I do. I need to. All this time, I’ve been hiding, and I see that now. Hiding in the woods, hiding in the prison. Fuck… even hiding under these clothes. I was afraid if I didn’t stop hiding, he’d find me. Or someone like him would. Then, I wouldn’t be able to…”

She finally gave into the tears and Daryl tried to catch her before she fell to her knees near the body of the man who’d broken her. Her sobs were quiet but caused her body to shake. 

Daryl knew the gunfire would have drawn some unwanted attention from walkers, but also wanted to give her time to do what she needed.

“C’mon, we can’t stay here,” Daryl tried to lift her up and she went willingly enough.

Once he got her situated in the car and loaded the supplies, Daryl went to turn on the engine, her hand on his arm made him pause.

“Wait, can we just… Daryl. Can you, I mean—”

“What, Y/N?” he could see her struggling and his heart broke for her.

“ ** _Hold me. Just for a little bit, okay? I just… I need someone to hold me_**.”

He could see how hard it was for her to ask him for this favor, and he simply nodded. Daryl wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her into him the best he could while sat in the car.

She sighed, and her breath felt warm and welcoming on his chest. When he felt her breathing become more regular, he lifted his face to look out of the window. He rested his chin on her head and before he could even realize it, he was leaving a soft kiss on her temple.

“You’re gonna be ‘lright Y/N…”

“How do you know?” she asked, sniffling against his shirt.

“Because, you’re with us now, we take care of each other. I promise…  ** _I will never give up on ya_** , ok?”

“Promise? Even if I…”

“Don’t matter what. That ain’t us. We save each other because we’re the only family we got and without family, none of this shit matters.”

Daryl pulled her in a little tighter until the walkers were nearly at the hood of the car.

“You alright? Really time for us to go…”

Sitting up and wiping her face, Y/N turned to Daryl and smiled, “I am so fucking ready. Let’s get the hell out of here and go home.”


End file.
